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Ct9.5
Creatine Research
Likely helps
546 peer-reviewed studies
What the evidence says
Likely helps
Creatine appears to help in 16 of 19 studies with measurable effects — the evidence leans clearly favourable.
Most evidence is from high-quality meta-analyses and randomised trials published 1979–2026 with a typical study size of 154 participants.
Based on 546 studies · 55 meta-analyses · 444 RCTs · 27,982 total participants
Confidence
High confidence
What the studies found
16helped2unclear1didn't help· 527 more without graded effect data
Endurance & exercise performanceIncreases power output and repeated-sprint performance · 2-4 weeks
Likely helps73 studies
Therapeutic & clinical
Probably helps69 studies
Lean body mass & muscle growth5-15% strength gains · 2-4 weeks
Likely helps64 studies
RecoveryFaster muscle recovery · 1-2 weeks
Mostly mechanism / observational35 studies
Cognitive functionImproves working memory and cognitive performance, especially under stress · 4-8 weeks
Likely helps32 studies
Safety profile
Likely helps23 studies
By the numbers
Pulled from 52 studies with measurable effects
Likely real effects
72%
across studies
People studied
28k
typical study: 154 people
Strongest designs
499
55 pooled, 444 randomised
Showed benefit
84%
16/19 studies
How long studies ran
1–4 weeks
3
1–3 months
3
3+ months
5
Populations Studied
General population5
Older adults3
women across reproductive stages1
Females taking oral creatine monohydrate1
Steady research
137 studies in the last 5 years · Latest meta-analysis: 2026
197920022026
1muscle mass and bone healthMeta-Analysisn=763 · large study2026
In plain English: Current evidence does not support robust additive effects of nutritional supplementation on muscle mass or bone health when combined with exercise in women across reproductive stages.
Chen KH et al. · International journal of medical sciences (2026)
No clear effect
← WorseNo effectBetter →
Could be chance
The combined intervention showed no significant effects on muscle mass measures: skeletal muscle mass (g=0.065, 95% CI: -0.353 to 0.482, p=0.762), appendicular lean mass (g=0.197, 95% CI: -0.177 to 0.571, p=0.302), or fat-free mass (g=0.069, 95% CI: -0.110 to 0.249, p=0.447).
Significant improvements occurred in bench press (g=0.279, 95% CI: 0.008 to 0.550, p=0.043) and handgrip strength (g=0.412, 95% CI: 0.039 to 0.786, p=0.031).
No significant effects emerged for bone mineral content (g=0.195, 95% CI: -0.281 to 0.671, p=0.421) or bone mineral density (g=0.087, 95% CI: -0.129 to 0.303, p=0.430).
In plain English: More well-powered trials in underrepresented groups, particularly women and older adults, are needed to clarify population-specific responses.
Kazeminasab F, Kerchi AB, Sharafifard F, Zarreh M, Forbes SC, Camera DM, Lanhers C, Wong A, Nordvall M, Bagheri R, Dutheil F. · Nutrients (2025)
Weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random-effects modeling.
Additionally, creatine supplementation combined with exercise training revealed no significant differences in handgrip strength [WMD = 4.26 kg, p = 0.10] and leg press strength [WMD = 3.129 kg, p = 0.11], when compared with the placebo.
Furthermore, subgroup analysis based on age revealed significant increases in bench and chest press [WMD = 1.81 kg, p = 0.002], leg press [WMD = 8.30 kg, p = 0.004], and squat strength [WMD = 6.46 kg, p = 0.001] for younger adults but not for older adults.
In plain English: In postmenopausal women, creatine, particularly ≥ 5 g·day⁻¹ with RT, yields small but meaningful gains in lean mass and strength without evidence of harm.
Naddafha S et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2026)
Lean mass (k = 5; n = 338) favored creatine: mean difference (MD) + 0.37 kg (95% CI + 0.05 to + 0.69; I² = 25%; τ² = 0.01; 95% PI -0.10 to + 0.84).
Leg-press 1RM (k = 3; n = 111) improved with creatine: MD + 7.5 kg (95% CI + 2.2 to + 12.8; I² = 0%).
In postmenopausal women, creatine, particularly ≥ 5 g·day⁻¹ with RT, yields small but meaningful gains in lean mass and strength without evidence of harm.
6Adverse outcomes in females taking creatineMeta-Analysisn=951 · large study2020
In plain English: However, all future studies of creatine supplementation in females should consider surveillance and comprehensive reporting of adverse outcomes to better inform participants and health professionals involved in future trials.
de Guingand DL et al. · Nutrients (2020)
Six hundred and fifty-six studies were identified where creatine supplementation was the primary intervention; fifty-eight were female only studies (9%).
No statistically significant difference was reported in measures of renal or hepatic function.
In conclusion, mortality and serious adverse events are not associated with CrM supplementation in females.